The Red
Hawks Kawartha High School Boys Hockey League home opener was all
over within a few minutes.

Excited by the start of the season, the
noise and anticipation by the home crowd, the Hawks came out with an
unrivalled intensity that put the visiting Holy Cross Hurricanes of
Peterborough on the defensive. They outpaced the physically smaller
and less-skilled Hurricanes, 9-0.

Head Coach Ron Yake and assistant
coach Jason Morissette were pleased with the team’s effort and
their ability to execute, scoring early.

“We really caught them off
guard in the first five to eight minutes of the game with a solid
forecheck. It’s been something we’ve been working on in practice
so it was awesome to see. That created some opportunities so it
resulted in some goals,” Yake said.

The Hawks were up 4-0 within
the first five minutes of the game. They would add three more in the
second to seal the deal. The third was mainly a formality.

Hawks
centre Owen Smith scored the first goal for the eventual game-winner
and was in on three of the next four goals, scoring an additional one
and adding two assists. He finished with five points (two goals and
three assists) to lead all players while teammate Zach Morissette
assisted on Smith’s first goal and finished with four points (one
goal and three assists).

Zach Morissette is in Grade 10 and scored
his first goal for the Hawks in his rookie season. Last year he was
on the Hawks’ practice squad.

Teammate and Grade 9 rookie Desi
Davies scored his first high goal, adding an insurance marker less
than two minutes after Smith’s opening goal. Hawks forward Owen
Gilbert scored a pair of goals.

There’s a big difference between
when players are attempting solo rushes to score versus scoring as a
team, which Yake likened to the difference between shinny and high
level hockey. He said his team was strong in executing game plans
worked on in practice, which resulted in four of the team’s goals.

Like any season, the power play needs to be the best it can be, he
said. There were positives that he saw, but the team will be refining
and looking to improve, which will be important with stronger
competition.

Getting the start in this game for the Hawks was goalie
Carson Sisson, who earned the shutout. There were a handful of
scoring chances for the visitors, but that was it.

“Our goaltender
played well even though he didn’t have a lot of action, but he was
still steady and the puck didn’t go in,” he said.

Backing him up
was goalie Jaxson Campbell. In attendance, but not dressed was goalie
Ethan Glecoff.

Yake liked what he saw in this game from his
blueliners (Nolan Flood, Carter O’Neill, Shawn Walker, Braeden
Vasey and Nicolas Dollo). He said they were steady and controlled the
game.

“You might say they weren’t noticed, which means they were
in full control. This is awesome. They have to feel good about that
and they moved the puck out [of the defensive zone] very well and
clean. There was a couple times it was very good ... it’s an area
of the game sometimes people don’t see, but if you ever play on a
team when your defence can’t control the play they’re noticed,”
he said.

Sometimes in games where one team dominates it’s difficult
for players to remain disciplined. However the Hawks demonstrated a
respect for their opponents and one another. This wasn’t lost on
Yake. It reminds him of the team’s mantra for the past few years
when it comes to wins and losses.

“When you lose say little. When
you win say less. I’ve mentioned that to them a couple of times.
Hopefully that idea of you play the game, you play it hard and you do
your best. Whatever the outcome you have some respect over what’s
taken place. I’m very proud of them today of that. It’s always
easy when you’re winning, easier anyway. It was a good start,” he
said.

Being shorthanded from undisciplined play factors in close
games. In a 9-0 win this didn’t necessarily come up, but the young
men are fully aware to avoid penalties that can hurt a team’s
chances.

“We had one player apologize to the rest of the team
already. He understands that it doesn’t matter about the situation
that you have to be careful about selfish penalties. He understood
that from the get-go. He was upset about that to himself. That’s a
great sign,” he said.

“They understand if you want to have
success you have to work on it. It’s a work in progress for some of
these guys and as a team together, a collective whole to work to
reduce penalties. To have fewer penalties than your opponent ... if
you can end up with a couple less minutes [of penalties] at the end
of the game compared to your opponent you’re probably going to be
in a better opportunity to win games.”

The team’s next home game
is on Wednesday, Dec. 6 against the Saints of St. Peter Catholic
Secondary School from Peterborough. Puck drops at 3:45 p.m. All home
games are held at the A.J. LaRue Arena in Haliburton.

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